Most teenagers encounter 'improper' content online: report

SHANGHAI -- More than 80 percent of teenagers in China have experienced "improper" online content, according to a new report.

The report, compiled by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and Tencent, revealed that 92.7 percent of those between the ages of 12 and 19in China had access to the Internet, and 85.7 percent of those with Internet access had encountered pornography, violence and fraud online.

The report was based on 2,957 questionnaires completed by those between 12 and 19 years old in the country's first, second and third-tier cities.

According to the report, the Internet use rate was higher among the younger respondents. The rate was particularly high among junior high school students, reaching 95.5 percent. Of those surveyed, 81 percent said they began surfing the Internet between the ages of 6 and 15.

The report also said that 19 percent of the respondents spent more than 1.5 hours online per day on average. Listening to music, playing games, chatting and searching for files were their main online activities.

"Laws and regulations, technology and security awareness should be improved to guide the healthy development of teenagers on the Internet," the report said.